


Memories of a Boy...

by Faehime



Series: Memories of a Boy Series [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Slight Crossover Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 16:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faehime/pseuds/Faehime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>8 years before Kagome found a hanyou sealed to Goshinboku, the young girl finds a familiar silver-haired demon standing beneath the same tree in her time... only much, much shorter. This is a tale of how a demon lord, who became lost in the future, became friends with a miko who would become lost in the past, and how they found each other... and love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be 50 chapters long and can also be found on my dA account and FF.net~ There will be a cover and chapter art for each chapter, which can be viewed on my dA account. Original story idea based on fan art of the same title. Some chapters have time skips between childhood and canon timeline.

As Kagome reached the top of the shrine steps, she trudged wearily over to the shade provided by Goshinboku. Flopping down against the tree with a huff, she enjoyed the cool breeze as she caught her breath from the long climb.

Looking up into the branches, Kagome squinted as bits of light filtered through the leaves, sparkling like daytime stars. Remembering what her grandfather had told her about Goshinboku, the little girl silently made a wish, screwing her eyes shut in concentration. So lost in thought was she, that she didn't notice the light coming out of the well-house in the courtyard across from her.

With a smile, Kagome stood up, and brushing her uniform off, began to walk towards the shrine she called home. She was almost to the door when a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. Before she had a chance to turn, she heard a haughty voice address her- in a not so polite manner.

"You, human girl! Tell this Sesshomaru where he is at once!" A boy not much taller than herself stood directly behind her, a small scowl on his pale face as he looked down his button nose at her.

Kagome didn't notice much else about the boy, as her temper at his demand got the better of her and she glared. "My name is Kagome, not "girl"! And you could say "please"- didn't your mama ever tell you it isn't nice to treat people so rudely!" Her temper began to cool as she noticed with satisfation how the strange boy's eyes widened in shock.

After a moment of tension, the boy, looking more wary of the girl in front of him, cleared his throat and asked uncertainly, "Please?"

Nodding encouragingly, Kagome answered him, "This is the Higurashi Family Shrine. My name's Higurashi Kagome, and I live here. Are you lost?" The boy's eyes cut to the side quickly, as a blush of shame crossed his face and he sullenly answered "This one does not know."

Cocking her head in curiosity, Kagome began to notice other details about the boy in front of her. Dressed in a traditional green yukata, he had long, snowy hair with bangs that fell neatly along his forehead, framing a small indigo crescent. Maroon stripes stood out starkly against his fair cheeks, leading to delicately pointed ears. Startling the boy yet again, Kagome stepped right into his face, her own sapphire orbs absorbing the glimmering citrus eyes now locked on her.

Leaning back again, her gaze was suddenly caught by the fluffy silver boa looped over the boy's shoulder and trailing the ground. Before he could react, Kagome was behind him, her arms full of the softest, thickest fur she'd ever seen, snuggling into it with a huge smile plastered on her face. Glancing again at the now red faced boy she asked, "What'd you say your name was again?"

Attempting to regain his composure, the young demon lord stuttered out "Se-Sesshomaru. Taisho Sesshomaru." Putting a finger to her lips, Kagome looked at him contemplatively. Dropping the fur in her arms as she gasped, Sesshomaru suddenly found the raven-headed girl in his face again as she exclaimed, "You're a demon, aren't you Sessho!?"

Frowning, the little demon turned his nose up at the girl. "Of course I am, silly human! I am the heir to the west, and will one day be the strongest demon in all of Nippon!"

Ignoring the 'sillly human' comment, Kagome straightened up with a confused look on her face. "How do you know that, Sessho-chan?"

"My name's Sesshomaru-sama, not Sessho-chan, and," he continued with a tone of confidence, "I know because my Otosan said so!"

Nodding agreeably with him, as Kagome's mother was also always right, she looked at him again with a small smile.

"Well, if you're lost, we need to get you home! So, where did you come from?" Sesshomaru pointed and both children followed the direction of his finger to see the well-house, standing to the side of the courtyard looking sulky. Trotting over to the ancient building, Kagome, followed by Sesshomaru, slipped through the already opened door and carefully made her way down the steps to the well in the center of the floor.

Looking at Sesshomaru and then back at the well, Kagome circled the dusty wood structure til she stood on the opposite side. Gripping the side of the well, she hoisted herself up to look over the edge into the inky darkness below, her eyes just barely noting the gloomy bottom. Lifting her eyes, she watched as Sesshomaru kneeled on the pile of fur he had recently pulled off his shoulder, also gazing into the muted silence below them both.

"Sooooo... you came out of here?" Kagome blinked at him, her brow puckered in question.

"Hn."

Looking at him a moment longer, Kagome turned her gaze back to the depths.

"...cool."


	2. Learning to Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Kagome teaches a Taiyoukai-to-be how to play, and he teaches her how to do it correctly! Also known as Swing High.

Sesshomaru eyed the contraption in front of him with suspicion. After jumping into the well a few times with no success, the girl, Kagome, had insisted upon telling her mom about him. After introductions, and a short explanation of his predicament, Kagome's Okaa-san had decided there was nothing for it but to wait and see.

So, following a small tour of the house, Kagome had changed out of her school uniform into her current attire. It was... strange, he decided, but so was everything else in this place. He was lent an outfit to change into before they went outside, a pair of red hakama along with a white haori with a red design along the collar. Then, he had been lead by the small human to an area behind the shrine that was filled with odd structures. "To play," as Kagome had put it.

Sesshomaru watched as the raven-headed human walked around behind what appeared to be some sort of suspended saddle and laid across it on her stomach. She then walked forward and leaned up against the ropes on tip-toe, standing directly in front of Sesshomaru with a huge grin.

He was about to ask her what she was doing, when Kagome lifted her feet behind her and swung back with a burst of delighted laughter. As he watched, Kagome used her legs and arms to swing her body forward and backwards, giving herself greater momentum and rising higher and higher on each consecutive pass.

After a moment, Sesshomaru asked, "Kagome, what are you doing?"

Giggling as she swung towards him, she waited until she was level with his face to respond.

"Flying!"

Eyes widening, Sesshomaru thought about her answer, then smirked.

"That's not how you fly! I've seen my Otosan fly, and he's always on his feet," Sesshomaru declared confidently, before walking over to the remaining swing with determination. Without pause, he grasped the ropes in either hand and stepped up onto the swing. Pausing for a moment in consideration, he screwed his face in concentration as he leaned back, and then forward, slowly working himself into a smooth rhythm of motion counter to Kagome's swing.

"Like this!" he called, a smile on his face at Kagome's approving nod.

"And now you're flying too, Sesshomaru!"

Neither noticed the hour growing late, as they both tried to swing higher than the other, the fading sun the backdrop to their joy.


	3. Homesick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Kagome displays a proclivity for cheating and Sesshomaru finds reminders of home.

Kagome had looked all over the house, but still couldn't find Sesshomaru. A small pout on her face, she stamped her foot in irritation.

"He better not have gone outside- we agreed that outside was off-limits!" Kagome was a master of hide-and-go-seek, but the little dog demon's nose had been her undoing whenever it was her turn to hide. Inside the house was a bit more of a level field, as her scent saturated every room, and so they had agreed to stay inside for this particular game. They had been playing for a while now, but now Kagome couldn't find Sesshomaru, but she didn't want to admit defeat and call out to him.

Huffing, Kagome looked about her to check that the room she was in was indeed deserted. She had an idea to help her, but she didn't anyone to see what she was about to do. The young girl screwed her eyes shut, and put her hands together with her index fingers up and touching. Taking a deep breath, she looked for the small light she felt inside herself, somewhere in her chest. Finding it, she used her mental hands to pull a small thread out and then allowed it to pool into the palm of her hand.

A soft pink light glittered across the surface of her hand, faint, but there. Eyes still closed, Kagome allowed her hand to pull her through the house. She ran into the wall a few times, but kept concentrating. She knew that this was technically cheating, but if Sesshomaru could use his demon senses, her using a small finding trick she had learned wouldn't hurt!

When her hand came to rest against a door, the small miko opened her eyes and frowned. This was her Grandpa's room, and it was also supposed to be off limits. She was about to storm in when she was stopped by the sound of a small sniffle. Pausing, Kagome slowly slid the door open and peeked inside. There, sitting in front of a self covered in scrolls, was Sesshomaru. With tears running down his face. As she went to step towards him the floor creaked, and his wide citrus eyes flashed to her.

Standing abruptly, Sesshomaru quickly scrubbed the remaining tears off his face, sniffing as he said hoarsely, "Sorry Kagome, I know I'm not supposed to hide in here and-" Kagome's hand on his face interrupted him, and he looked into her troubled gaze with his anguished one.

"You miss him, don't you?" His eyes again brimmed with suppressed tears and he nodded jerkily, unable to speak for fear of crumbling. Sapphire eyes softened, and Kagome admitted gently, "I miss my daddy too."

A sob ripped from the small demon's chest, and he fell into Kagome's arms, the two of them clinging to one another in shared grief. When Kagome's mom came home, she found them asleep, claws and fingers laced together between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one's a bit of fluff about being away from the one's you love, and the one's you love being away from you.


	4. Lost Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which the lost are found, and a vow is made.

"Oh, this is terrible." Kagome's mother frowned as she set a piece of paper down on the counter, then hurried over to the door. Kagome and Sesshomaru watched as she put her shoes on and grabbed a flashlight.

"Kagome, I'll be back a little later- I have to go help Mr. Tousan with something!" As she rushed out, Kagome and Sesshomaru looked at each other. Kagome could see the question in his eyes; he'd been here for nearly two weeks now, and she had quickly learned that he communicated non-verbally most of the time.

"Kaname Tousan is a family friend- he's blind, so mom helps him with things like shopping sometimes." She frowned, and continued, "But normally that's on Tuesdays..." They looked at each other again, and then both sets of eyes turned to the counter where the paper had been laid down. Walking over, they both looked at the page, which turned out to be a flier for a lost dog.

Sesshomaru scowled, then glanced at Kagome, who had concern written all over her small face. "What does a dog have to do with this Mr. Tousan?" Lips puckering, Kagome explained, "Blind people usually have pets that help them find their way around- they are trained special so that they can help and protect the person that needs them."

Looking from Sesshomaru back to the page, Kagome ran her fingers gently over the picture, "This dog keeps Mr. Tousan from being lost."

Something about the way she spoke sparked something inside of the young demon. Eyes narrowing in determination, he grabbed her hand.

"Let's find him."

–

After grabbing a flashlight and putting shoes on, Kagome and Sesshomaru followed the sidewalk down the street to the Tousan residence. The lights were out, and Kagome heard her mother at the end of the street calling the dogs name. Moving quickly, they moved closer to the house and Sesshomaru took a delicate sniff of the area, trying to catch the scent of the dog. Growling in frustration when he couldn't pick anything up, he looked at the small girl with him.

"I need to be in my true form to do this- my sense of smell is stronger than in this form." Before she could ask what he meant, Kagome was pushed back by a small burst of energy and a flash of light. As she blinked sun spots out of her eyes, she looked to where Sesshomaru had been standing and found herself staring into the crimson gaze of a white puppy. A large puppy at that- standing up, Kagome found that he still stood to her chest.

"Woah..." she breathed, her hands reaching to touch his thick fur. The sound of her mother's voice coming closer snapped her back to the matter at hand. Grabbing her flashlight, she looked at Sesshomaru resolutely.

Woofing softly, Sesshomaru quickly picked u the dog's scent. Moving so that Kagome's hand was on the scruff of his neck, Sesshomaru was grateful for Kagome's ability to know what he wanted her to do when she grabbed firmly onto his fur. Moving quickly, he began following the scent of the lost dog into the woods behind the house. As the dark canopy above blocked off the small light offered by the moon, Kagome turned her flashlight on.

They had been at it for nearly half an hour when they came across the dog, his collar caught on brambles that kept him from moving. As Kagome moved forward to free the animal, Sesshomaru reverted to his human form. Bending over, he help Kagome free the dog, then lifted it in his arms. Smiling up at him, Kagome rose and they walked back to the house.

When they arrived, Kagome's mom was sitting with Mr. Tousen in the kitchen. Hearing a dog bark, she looked up to see her disheveled daughter, Sesshomaru and Einstein, Mr. Tousan's seeing eye dog. Moving to open the door, Kagome stated happily, "Sesshomaru found him, Mama!"

After nodding to Kagome's mother, Sesshomaru set Einstein down, and watched as he rushed happily over with wagging tail and started licking Mr. Tousan's hand.

"Now you won't get lost." Mr. Tousen's head turned towards the sound of the child's firm voice. He nodded, a slight quirk to his lips but his voice serious.

"Indeed. And I shall do my best to return the favor. Thank you, for finding my friend." Kagome's mom watched as a beaming Kagome stepped up to the small demon's side and put her hand in his while she checked to make sure there was nothing else Kaname would need. Saying their goodbyes, the three made their way home.

–o–

Walking into her room after her bath, Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru wasn't there yet. Leaving her towel on her head, Kagome followed her gut and found him standing in front of Goshinboku. Slipping on her shoes, Kagome went out to stand beside him.

"Are you okay, Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru's glanced at her, then back at the tree, and he moved forward, placing a clawed hand against the bark.

"I know how that dog felt. When I first came through the well, I was lost." Moonlit eyes turned to her, taking in the way her towel was draped over still wet hair.

"But you found me." His quite confession touched Kagome, and they stood in silence for some time before Sesshomaru spoke again.

"This tree is in my time as well. I think that, should I ever go home, I will never be lost again, as long as I can find this tree. Because I know it will lead me to you, Kagome." A blush stole across the girl's cheeks as Sesshomaru's words rang through the shrine yard. Neither one of them moved for a moment, but then Sesshomaru moved forward and grabbed Kagome's hand, pulling her back towards the house.

"Sesshomaru-"

"I promise I'll always find you, Kagome." His voice interrupted her, but he didn't stop or look back.

"I won't let you get lost."

A smile spread across Kagome's face and her eyes sparkled with warmth. Squeezing his hand tightly, she sped up to walk beside him.

"Okay."


	5. Memories of a Girl...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which a Lord remembers a girl.

"I have you now, Kagome." 

Naraku leered at the furious girl before him, assured of victory. InuYasha and her other friends were with her inside of a flickering barrier, all of them either passed out or too wounded to fight anymore. Even Shippo sported a sluggishly bleeding gash across his scalp, from where he had blocked Kagome from a blitz attack by a mindless oni.

In a last ditch effort to protect her friends, Kagome had thrown a shield up around them, and was finishing off stragglers with purified arrows from behind its protection. All that remained was the dark hanyou himself, with all but three shards of the Shikon on his side.

Sweat trickled down the miko's pale forehead, her eyes pinched with the strain of using so much of her powers. Despite her defiant stance and angry countenance, Naraku could smell her fear. Fear for her friends, for herself, and of him. But he was not the only one.

With one last, weak shudder, the barrier shattered and Naraku lunged for Kagome. Just as his claws sliced towards her delicate throat, a slash of silver cut him off. Literally. Rearing back in shock and anger, Naraku regenerated his hands while glaring at the insolent fool blocking his path to victory.

"Sesshomaru?" The taiyoukai turned at the questioning voice of the young priestess. "What are you doing here?"

Cool citrus eyes met hope filled sapphire ones, and he turned back to face his opponent, who was now transforming into his giant spider form.

"Foolish human, this Sesshomaru could smell the fear coming from you for miles." 

A smirk touched his lips at her outraged squawk at being called a foolish human. 

"My name is-"

"-Kagome."

Kagome's eyes went wide as he finished her sentence. She continued to stare at his back in shock as he sheathed his sword and began gathering his youki to transform. Her mind was swirling with forgotten memories, memories of a childhood friend. 

Before she could ask him anything, the imposing lord asked over his shoulder, "Do you remember what you told me... about being afraid of spiders?"

-o-

A yelp of fright drew the small girls attention over to where Sesshomaru was in the storage house. They had gone in there looking for a scroll that might shed some light on the well, and hadn't found anything yet. Now, Sesshomaru was pressed against the far shelf from where he had been looking, staring at the ground in apparent horror.

Rushing over, Kagome looked to see what was frightening him so, but couldn't see anything on the dusty floor. "Sesshomaru, what is it?" Her voice seemed to jolt him into movement, and he dashed behind her, pointing to the ground. "It bit me!" Frowning, Kagome squatted down and squinted her eyes.

After a few breathless moments of concentration, she saw a tiny, rather angry looking spider rearing up at her. Scowling, she stood up and using her heel, squished the small arachnid soundly. Turning, she grabbed the finger the small dog demon was cradling and looked it over. There was a small welt there, but it was already clearing up. She smiled in relief, glad to see that healing thing he had told her about was true! Seeing that he still looked unnerved however, she pulled the finger to her face and kissed the wound.

"There, all better!" Sesshomaru visibly relaxed a little, then frowned in confusion.

"Kagome... why weren't you frightened? It could have bit you, and you wouldn't have healed like me!" Kagome giggled lightly, and winked at her affronted looking friend.

"Because I was bigger than him! Don't worry Sessho-chan! As long as I'm bigger than the spider, I'll protect you from them! You don't have to be afraid!"

-o-

Sesshomaru glared at the spider hanyou charging towards them, chanced one last look at the stunned woman standing behind him. Her face was awash in recognition, and as his youki flashed around him, he repeated the words she had told him so long ago.

"As long as I am bigger than the spider, I'll protect you." With a burst of power, his form stretched and grew rapidly, slamming back to the ground with a thunderous crash, his massive jaws glistening with feral determination. In full form, Sesshomaru towered over the dark hanyou still charging forward with reckless abandon. As he brought his paw down and heard the satisfying crunch of Naraku's body, his thoughts turned from the present to memories of a girl...


	6. Circle, Circle, Dot, Dot...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Sesshomaru has no imagination but plenty of determination.

Sesshomaru watched warily as Kagome angrily stomped up the stairs to the shrine. She was coming back from a friend's birthday party, and it appeared that something had happened to set off her temper.

'Although that wouldn't be too hard...' Sesshomaru thought to himself dryly as the annoyed girl threw herself down beside him with a huff. Choosing to give her a chance to cool off, the pup turned his eyes to the sky, trying again to see the shapes in the clouds his human friend was always claiming were there.

Beside him, Kagome was tearing at her pig tails in frustration, doing her best to unravel the ribbons and some other substance from them. Once her raven tresses were clear of both, she wadded the soiled ribbons up and did her best to hurl them down the shrine steps. To the child's ire, the ribbons unfurled as they left her tight grip and drifted lazily to rest only two steps down.

Stomping a foot, Kagome clenched her eyes shut as she tried to calm down. Sesshomaru, being the smart young youkai that he was, kept his eyes glued to the clouds. After about 20 minutes, Kagome finally looked at her silent companion with a tired expression. Feeling eyes upon him, Sesshomaru asked curiously, "Why would you go to a party that makes you angry?"

Sapphire eyes filled with annoyance gave him a petulant look as Kagome reached out and pulled his cheek. At his yelp, she let go, muttering, "Divine punishment, baka no Sessho."

As the young youkai lord rubbed his abused cheek, she sighed and leaned back on her elbows, explaining, "The party didn't make me angry. All in all, it was a lot of fun actually. It was my friend Yuka that made me angry."

Sesshomaru waited for her to continue, and when she didn't he asked, "What did she do to make you angry?"

The petite girl blew her bangs in a familiar display of irritation before she answered his question with one of her own. "Do you know what cooties are?"

At the shake of his head, Kagome explained, "It's stupid really. Supposedly you get them from being with boys. If you kiss a boy, or hold their hand or something, you get cooties, and then everyone avoids touching you until you get a cootie shot." At Sesshomaru's confused look, Kagome elaborated further.

"A boy from our class, Hojo, was at the party today. Everyone started saying he had cooties, and it just really made me angry, so I went up to him and gave him a cootie shot." Kagome's face began to flush once more with anger as she related what happened next.

"Then Yuka started singing a stupid song about how Hojo and me were gonna kiss and get married and have kids together... it was just-"

"Because you gave him a shot?" Sesshomaru interrupted her rant, startling Kagome out of her anger.

"Wha-? No, I don't know! I think because I walked right up to him and grabbed his arm instead of hanging back like everyone else." Silence fell between them as Sesshomaru thought over what she had told him. After a few minutes of careful consideration, the small inuyoukai turned to Kagome with a serious expression.

"Could you show me what a cootie shot is?" He offered her his arm, and Kagome rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"I already told you they don't really exist!"

"I'd still like to see this shot you are talking about." At the defiant twist of her lips, Sesshomaru added, "...please, Kagome-chan?"

Mollified by the addition of 'the magic word' Kagome took his arm and started tracing invicible shapes on it with her finger.

"Circle, circle, dot, d-" her sing-song recitation was cut off by Sesshomaru quickly leaning forward and pressing a swift kiss the corner of her mouth. It was a child's kiss, sweet and short. Wide azure eyes blinked at him, startled above cheeks gone a ruddy pink.

"Now you can't marry Hojo. I found you first, and I kissed you first." Kagome's eyes went wider, her entire face flushing at his bold statement. "Yuka will just have to arrange his marriage to someone else."

Suddenly overcome by the ridiculousness of it all, Kagome snorted on her laughter as her anger was washed away on a tide of mirth. Sesshomaru looked mildly perturbed, but simply went back to looking at the sky. He didn't know what was so amusing about him staking a claim to her, and he certainly wasn't happy that some human boy had nearly done it before him.

As he watched the clouds passing overhead and listened to Kagome's giggles, the young lord came to a decision though. In order to keep Kagome for himself, and keep her safe, he would have to take her back with him. The only question was... how?


	7. Puppy Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Sesshomaru rules with puppy drool!

Sesshomaru decided that Kagome had finally snapped. It was the only rational explanation for why she was running around the outside of the house carrying what looked to be the dead remains of a snake youkai while wearing a manic smile.

It had been a ridiculously hot week, and after driving Kagome's mother to distraction, the normally patient woman had banished them from the house, as well as the wonderful air condition that Sesshomaru had grown to love. The two had been outside for nearly three hours now, and had been melting under the Goshinboku for most of that time.

"Perhaps your weak human brain has melted from the heat." Sesshomaru muttered sourly, knowing that his seemingly possessed friend wouldn't hear him. After the first few days of this heat spell, Kagome's mother had explained how, due to some sort of climate shift cause by the humans polluting, the world had become hotter over the centuries. While he understood that it had taken hundreds of years to become this way, he couldn't suppress the small bit of irrational resentment he felt towards his human companion at the moment. Pulling his thick braid away from his neck, Sesshomaru wished once more he could return to his era, when summer's were much cooler.

"All done!" Sesshomaru groaned at her far too perky announcement, before focusing in Kagome's direction once more. Looking up, the young demon was surprised to see a large metal contraption shooting water straight into the air in several streams. Kagome tugged at his hand, excitement shining from cerulean eyes as she practically dragged his overheated form towards the strange set up.

Despite the oppressive heat still beating down, the young inuyoukai was happily surprised to feel his pale skin being hit by a cool mist. Kagome moved to stand beside the water spouts, her aura radiating with excitement as she bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. Her eyes were drinking in her friend's reaction, watching with delight as he studied her little surprise with an intensity that would border on the absurd had she not known he'd never seen something like this before. When his sun-sweet eyes finally glanced back to her, Kagome felt a thrill of victory at the the burning curiosity she saw in their depths.

"This," the young girl said with a flourish of her hand, "is called a sprinkler! We use it to water the lawn on hot, dry days. If you turn this knob-" A surprised yelp cut her off.

Kagome had bent down while she was speaking and twisted the setting knob to make the sprinkler rotate. Unfortunately, she had taken notice of how close Sesshomaru had gotten to the streams of water. When she had twisted it on, the water had immediately turned towards him, shooting into his face and up his sensitive nose. The startled girl had quickly looked up in concern, but at the sight of her now wet companion, she had clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing at him.

Sesshomaru was not quite as amused. The sprinkler had continued on without a care for its assault on his person, and even now was moving in short, choppy turns, dousing him in even more water. Sneezing from the water still lodged in his sinuses, Sesshomaru glared sharply when he heard a squeak of mirth come from Kagome. Scowling, he growled between bared fangs, expressing his displeasure with her as an inuyoukai instinctual would. His attempt at intimidation of ruined when the sprinkler quickly revolved back to it's starting position pointed towards his feet, the streams of water once more shooting into his face.

Kagome burst out laughing at Sesshomaru stood there dripping, unable to contain herself when his growl had been interrupted by water once again washing into his face. So distracted was she in her humor, that she failed to notice the predatory glint in the young youkai's eyes. It was only when she felt the pulse of youki that she looked up, her eyes searching for the sopping boy. Instead, her gaze was met by glowing red eyes and damp silver-white fur.

Something about the way he was staring at her made the small girl wary, and Kagome started backing way slowly, her hands held out in warning before her. "Don't you dare..." she hedged, knowing what was about to happen. As the sprinkler did yet another pass, soaking his water-logged form even more, Sesshomaru set his paws firmly... and shook!

Kagome squealed as she was pelted by the cold water flying from Sesshomaru's fur, falling back onto the ground when she had tried to scramble backwards from the deluge. All attempts to remove herself from his vicinity failed, as the vengeful pup dashed over and caged her beneath his dripping body, shaking again for good measure. Kagome tried to shield herself with her hands, but the effort was wasted. Shaking with laughter, Kagome looked up at the inuyoukai staring down his glistening muzzle at her. Trying to school her features, sea-bright eyes glinted with mock reproach.

"Are you quite done?" Kagome watched in horror as Sesshomaru tongue lolled out from between his fangs, his mouth widening in a doggy grin. Before she could react, Sesshomaru licked her face roughly, leaving a trail of drool from chin to forehead. With a sharp bark of humor, he bounced away from her, shifting back into his human form even as Kagome sat up, her eyes squeezed shut as she wiped at the slobber on her face.

"Sesshomaru! Have you lost your mind!" Kagome's outraged cry was met with a superior look as he smirked at her. He did not miss the irony of her statement, considering that he had though the same thing of her not too long ago. Crossing his arms, he waited as Kagome stood up and stomped over to him, he shoes making a distinct squelching sound that detracted from her imposing figure. Face dripping and cheeks red, the young girl's indignant thoughts were interrupted when Sesshomaru leaned into her face and sniffed at her loudly. Mouthing falling open as she blushed deeper, Kagome could only stare in disbelief at Sesshomaru's next statement.

"You smell like a wet dog." Sesshomaru grinned mischievously as she began sputtering, her finger pointing at him accusingly.

"Well so do you! Besides, it's your fault!" Kagome grinned devilishly and, before Sesshomaru could react, tackled him, dragging them both back into the firing streams of water. The rest of their day was spent laughing and chasing each other through the sprinkler, all thoughts of sanity far from their thoughts.


	8. Show Off!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Kagome is impressed... by Sesshomaru's seeming indestructibility against low grade explosives!

Smoke curled about Sesshomaru's tiny form as his clothing continued to smolder in places. Kagome was staring at him, her wide, blue eyes frozen in shock as the last of the explosives finally sizzled to extinction. Charred, silver bangs laid in odd angles, displaced from their normal, orderly location along his brow. His own golden eyes were wide in a face blackened with soot-smudge and ash as he continued to stare at what had once been a box full of brightly colored tubes, sticks and packages.

He and Kagome had found the box in one of the many storage houses on the Shrine's property while looking for scrolls that might explain why the well was refusing to send him back to his own time. The delight they had lit in the young girl's eye had prompted Sesshomaru to carry the box, filled with an assortment of contraptions he didn't quite understand, to behind the house where the swing set was located. Kagome had immediately gone inside to grab some matches, shouting about wanting to show him something called a sparkler.

When she had returned, the raven-haired girl was carrying a box of matches with triumph and excitement in her eyes. Standing across from him, Kagome explained that the packages inside the box were called fireworks, and that they were highly combustible. Sun-tinted eyes had narrowed in confusion at the unfamiliar word, leaving Kagome to clarify that, when exposed directly to a source of heat, like fire, the 'fireworks' would explode. After making sure he understood, Kagome had gone back to digging in the box, searching for a particular type of firework.

The inuyoukai lord-to-be had observed as she had then selected a long, stick-like object wrapped in brightly colored paper. She had then handed him the stick while she attempted to strike a match. Minutes passed in fruitless efforts, as each tiny, wooden rod either snapped in half or refused to catch against the rough surface she was dragging the tip along.

Sesshomaru, tired of waiting and wanting to impress his friend, decided to take matters into his own claws. Focusing his youki like his sire had taught him, the hand not holding the sparkler started to glow a bright green, and a few drops of poison dripped from his claws, hissing angrily as they made contact with the ground. Kagome had looked up in surprise her eyes following the length of his outstretched arm to the ominously glowing hand even as her own hand followed through with the motions she'd been repeating for the past few minutes. This time however, the match caught, bursting to life with an answering hiss to Sesshomaru's poison.

Caught off guard by the sound being so much closer to her body, Kagome jumped with a startled shriek, losing her grip on the lit match. In slow motion, both children watched as the match flew through the air, headed straight for the box of fireworks. Remembering what Kagome had just explained, Sesshomaru quickly reached forward with his free hand and caught the match only inches from the fuse of a particularly large explosive. Before either of the children could breathe a sigh of relief though, Sesshomaru's poison, still slowly weeping from his claws in his distraction, dripped onto several fireworks.

The resulting display had been a cacophony of whistles, bursting lights, loud snaps, pops and smoke of various colors and densities. Kagome had managed to reflexively throw herself to the ground, avoiding the flying fireworks and what would have been some nasty burns for a human. Sesshomaru had frozen in place, bent slightly over the now decimated box, too shocked by the explosion of noise and movement that had resulted. Long moments passed while each stared at the other, Kagome watching to see if her demon friend was okay and Sesshomaru watching to see how big of a fool he had just made himself.

After assessing that her friend was whole and hale, if not a bit rattled, Kagome took a moment to appreciate the situation. Internally, she was thanking every kami she knew that no one was home just then. Finally Kagome spoke, breaking both the silence and the tension of the moment with her stark and blunt honesty.

"That was AWESOME!" The young girl crowed, leaping towards him and swinging him around as adrenaline began to flush through her veins. Breaking out of his stupor at her positive reaction, Sesshomaru laughed along with her, overcome with relief while at the same time wondering if all attempts to impress the strange girl would end with such a bang.


End file.
